Latest news with #MáireNíMhurchú
The Journal
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
70-year-old Irish woman deported from Israel after being denied legal representation in court
AN IRISH WOMAN has been deported from Israel this afternoon, ten days after she was arrested by Israeli forces for 'entering an active military zone' in the West Bank. 70-year-old great-grandmother Máire Ní Mhurchú, originally from Douglas, Co Cork, was detained by Israeli forces in the village of Khallet al-Dabaa in the Masafer Yatta region of southern West Bank on 1 June. Murphy was arrested shortly after Israeli forces declared the village a 'closed military zone.' According to Palestinian sources, residents and international solidarity activists were forcibly removed from the area. The International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led organisation that supports nonviolent resistance in the West Bank and Gaza, said Murphy had been complying with Israeli orders to leave when she was harassed by Israeli settlers. Murphy was initially held at Ben Gurion Airport, before being transferred to Givon Prison in Ramla on Tuesday. She appeared before court in Israel this week to appeal the deportation order given to her by Israeli authorities – though the ISM claim she was denied legal representation and was unable to contact her lawyer , despite her requests for them and multiple attempts by her lawyer to get in touch through the prison service. Murphy was deported to the UK this afternoon. Advertisement Her son, Dale Ryan, said that her family 'are all very relieved' to have her home. 'The past 10 days have been intense and we have had to trust that the Israeli authorities would treat my mother fairly and ensure her basic needs were met,' Ryan said. 'From their treatment of the Palestinians over the past several decades, this was not something we had the most confidence in. He added that his mother wanted to remain in the West Bank 'helping them in any way she could', but conceded that Murphy 'would have been pleased that her situation helped to draw some more eyes to the appalling treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank'. 'I know after a day's rest my mother will be back gathering support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the fair treatment of all Palestinians, after me and all her family give her a massive hug.' According to the ISM, Israeli forces are now demolishing the houses and water systems left in Khalet Al-Dabaa, together with makeshift tents. 'These communities face an ongoing and escalating campaign of ethnic cleansing and forcible displacement being carried out by Israeli settlers with the full support of the Israeli state,' an ISM spokesperson said. They added that they were disappointed in the 'shy response' from both the Irish and British governments. 'Murphy's case has served to remind us that the international community not only has an obligation to stop trade and relationships with Israel, but also to take decisive steps to bring the genocide and occupation of Palestine to an end,' the spokesperson added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Hearing scheduled in July for Irish pro-Palestinian activist detained in West Bank
A hearing in Israel for an Irish woman who is the subject of an Israeli deportation order has been scheduled for next month, according to the pro-Palestinian activist group she was volunteering with in the West Bank. According to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), Máire ní Mhurchú, also known as 'D' Murphy (70), was brought to a hearing on Wednesday. She is currently detained in Givon Prison in the Israeli city of Ramla after challenging the deportation order made against her following her arrest in the West Bank last weekend. The group said she was not given legal representation or an opportunity to obtain legal advice and refused to participate in the proceedings. Her hearing has been scheduled for July. READ MORE According to an ISM statement, Ms Murphy 'informed her family, via a phone call she was allowed to make, that she was deliberately given the wrong number for her lawyer. 'The last time Murphy was able to speak to the lawyer was on Monday, and as of today we still do not know the outcome of the hearing. These tactics of denying legal advice are not new to activists standing in solidarity with Palestinians as Israeli authorities continue to act with impunity.' The Israeli police and the Israeli ambassador responsible for Ireland, Dana Erlich, did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin said c it is providing consular assistance and, as per protocol, does not comment on the details of individual cases. Ms Murphy was detained by Israeli police on May 31st near Khalet al-Daba'a, a Palestinian village that has been largely demolished by Israeli forces, along with Swedish activist Susanne Björk (48). Ms Björk left Israel on Monday after a deportation order was also made against her. Both women deny that the grounds on which the orders were made against them and, in particular, deny failing to comply with an order to leave a military zone by Israeli soldiers. A video provided to The Irish Times shows the women at Khalet al-Daba'a speaking with three Israeli soldiers who handed them back their passports and told them 'to have a good walk and a good day.' Ms Murphy, who is from Cork but lives in Wales, is a founding member of Swansea Palestine Community Link and was previously detained in 2011, when she travelled to Israel with the group.
Irish Times
02-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Irish woman detained by Israel in the West Bank
An Irish woman has been detained by Israel in the West Bank , according to an activist group. Máire ní Mhurchú, known as D Murphy (70), was detained by Israeli police on Saturday in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, according to the International Solidarity Movement, the Palestinian anti-occupation group with which the Irish woman has been volunteering since May. Originally from Cork but living in Swansea, Wales, Ms Murphy was arrested alongside Swedish activist Susanne Björk (48) in Khalet al-Daba'a, a small Palestinian village that was largely demolished by Israeli forces in early May. After Israeli soldiers ordered the activists to leave, the women activists were reportedly stopped while leaving the village by Israeli settlers serving as reservists with the military. READ MORE The Israeli police were called and subsequently detained Ms Murphy and Ms Björk for being in a closed military zone. According to the International Solidarity Movement, Ms Björk is now due to be deported while Ms Murphy is fighting a deportation order and facing imprisonment. The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been contacted for comment. Ms Murphy is a founding member of Swansea Palestine Community Link and was previously detained in Israel in 2011, when she travelled to the Jewish state with the Welsh pro-Palestine group. Her son, Dale Ryan, said: 'As far as I can see her only crime was observing crimes against Palestinian people. D has always had a strong sense of justice and I know she could not sit at home while she knew her friends in Masafer Yatta and all of Palestine were suffering unnecessarily. 'I am very proud of my mother for sticking up for the basic human rights of her friends and trying to raise awareness of the injustices the Palestinian people are experiencing.' The 120-person community at Khalet al-Daba'a is one of a dozen Palestinian hamlets in Masafer Yatta inside an area that the Israeli authorities designated as a military firing zone in the 1980s. After a long legal battle, Israel's supreme court approved the eviction of 1,000 residents from the villages in the occupied West Bank in 2022. Amnesty International says ongoing settler attacks and demolitions place communities in Masafer Yatta at risk of forcible transfer. International law prohibits both the expropriation of occupied land for purposes that do not benefit the people living there and their forcible transfer. In 2024, the far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben Gvir established a special task force within Israel's West Bank police unit to target left-wing activists in the West Bank including foreign nationals and supporters of the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement. According to the Israeli outlet Haaretz, at least 16 foreign activists working with Palestinians in the West Bank have been detained and deported from Israel since October 2023. Activists often accompany Palestinian shepherds and farmers who are at risk of forced displacement, as well as violence from the IDF and local settlers while they work. In 2024, the UN recorded 4,250 Palestinians who were displaced, 1,760 structures that were destroyed and about 1,400 violent incidents involving Israeli settlers across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Irish Examiner
22-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Self-catering operators seek clarity on new letting rules
The representative body for short-term letting, the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCG), are 'inundated' with calls from members looking for clarity on what exactly the new rules for short-term letting to be introduced from next year mean for them. Chief executive officer Máire Ní Mhurchú said short-term letting answers the complexity of demands, and while the ISCF welcomes a register of all short-term lets, it is not at all clear what it will mean for members all over the country. The ISCF said the government was in danger of shutting down a vital industry, and an industry that is particularly important in tourist areas and for family income. The Government announced the Register for Short-Term Tourism Letting Bill following last Tuesday's cabinet meeting. The legislation will introduce a register for all Short Term Lets (STLs) in Ireland, which will be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May 2026, ensuring compliance with the new EU Short Term Rental Regulation, which was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024. Minister for Tourism Peter Burke expects the register will free up long-term letting for towns with populations over 10,000 and in rent pressure zones as well as improving compliance with planning. Failte Ireland will police the register. 'Politicians have stated that towns and villages with populations under 10,000 will not require planning permission for short-term rental businesses. However, there has been no clear communication regarding support or guidelines for existing businesses in larger towns and cities,' Ní Mhurchú said. Towns like Killarney and Tramore, for instance, with populations over 10,000, are likely to need planning permission - but it is not clear where the boundaries lie. The whole of the Killarney Municipal District, for instance, includes several rural villages. While the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) acknowledges the introduction of this legislation, there had been little prior consultation with industry stakeholders, the CEO said. 'This approach undermines the second-largest sector in Ireland's tourism accommodation market, leaving many of our members deeply concerned about the future of their businesses. The industry urgently needs clarity on planning regulations for existing operations and clear guidelines for the development of the short-term rental sector— the fastest-growing segment of tourism accommodation.' In 2024, Eurostat reported a 28.3% increase in short-term rental bookings across the EU, totalling 123.7m nights in the first quarter alone. However, Ireland's performance has been less robust, with a 4% decline in the number of nights international visitors stayed compared to 2023. To illustrate the impact of disorganised regulation on the sector, the ISCF has developed a series of children's books in Irish and in English, accusing the government of not understanding the complexity of this part of the tourist industry, or of how vital it is for family incomes along the west coast. It is not fair to blame self-catering in Connemara or Waterford for the lack of housing, according to the children's books. 'Granny and others had spent all their money fixing up houses for visitors, but now they were being blamed for not having enough homes for people to live in. Grandad had died a long time ago, and Mum said the money Grandad earned paid for the car and sent her to university…" At present, all short-term letting properties with the exception of a principal private residence based in rent pressure zones, such as Killarney, are required to have appropriate planning permission, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said. Renting out a room in a principal private residence does not require planning, but renting out the entire house for more than 90 days does. With the new register, hosts offering short-term letting accommodation for periods up to and including 21 nights will be obliged to register with Fáilte Ireland and display their registration number in all advertising. People breaching the rules could face stringent financial penalties, the Department said.
